Australian Motorcycle News

HAVE YOU seen how many GWM utes and Haval 4x4 wagons there are on Australian roads these days? Great Wall Motors (GWM) sold the first Chinese-manufactured vehicle in Australia in 2009 under an independent distributor; seven years later, in 2016, GWM

KAWASAKI HAS been a formidable force in WorldSBK, with eight riders’ titles between 1993 and 2020 and six consecutive manufacturers crowns from 2015 to 2020, but the Bimota entry marks a new approach. Although the ZX-10RR engine will power the new Bi

THE COMPANY’S heritage in WorldSBK is hard to argue with. It came within a hair of winning the very first manufacturers’ championship back in 1988 with Davide Tardozzi and Stephane Mertens on the Yamaha-powered YB4. The riders took third and fourth i

NEW PATENT applications from Yamaha show it’s looking at a semiautomatic option for the MT-07 and its spin-off models, eliminating the clutch lever and the foot shifter and replacing them with ’bar-mounted shift buttons. Unlike Honda’s DCT, which has

WE’VE ALREADY seen patents for BMWs with movable winglets and for ducts that take high pressure air from the low side of a bike during corners and direct it out of the other side, and the latest development builds on that latter idea and works it int

HONDA HAS been slow to adopt the systems required for adaptive cruise control but it’s clear from a patent that it’s hard at work on catching up. We’ve previously seen several patents showing radar-equipped versions of Honda’s Goldwing and Africa Twi

Aussie Jett Lawrence continues his domination, having led the AMA 450SX main event from start to finish in Philadelphia to extend his points advantage out to 12. Just two rounds remain. The Australia Post contractor for Longreach in Central Queenslan

MADE IN SMALL numbers each year, at a vast price, the 450 Rally Replica is aimed at serious competition riders. For the 2025 version, KTM has created a new chassis and reworked the engine to make the bespoke machine even more impressive. The 450cc si

Ducati is rumoured to be developing a single-cylinder sportsbike reminiscent of its 1993 Supermono race machine. It is speculated that the Italian manufacturer may employ a 549cc version of its popular 1098, effectively using just one cylinder of the

CFMoto has evolved significantly over its 35-year history. With a global reach of 3000 dealers and a workforce of over 5500, the Chinese-based manufacturer is now a major player. The company even competes in the Moto2 and Moto3 world series. Its late

THE OBVIOUS rival to the new CFMoto 450MT is Royal Enfield’s Himalayan, which was significantly updated this year (AMCN Vol 73 No 11). On price, they are both comparable, which makes both bikes exceptional value for money. The Sherpa single-cylinder

$9399 (plus on-road costs) From $8990 (ride away) $10,250 (ride away) ■

1262cc Testastetta V-twin Power 112kW @ 9500rpm Torque 126Nm @ 5000rpm Kerb weight 247kg $33,300 (ride away) 1868cc air-cooled V-twin Power 69kW @ 5020rpm Torque 155Nm @ 3000rpm Kerb weight 306kg $33,750 (ride away) 1890cc air-cooled V-twin Power Not

AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE NEWS has retained the ‘Thick and Fast’ Triumph Rocket 3 Drag Challenge Trophy, with Kel Buckley having secured the coveted crown at Heathcote Raceway for the launch of the Rocket 3 Roadster back in 2010. Competition among the as

Launch model had record-breaking 2294cc DOHC triple engine with 79kW and 209Nm. Addition of rider footboards and new silencers rather than forward footpegs. Addition of touring screen, soft panniers, luggage rack and backrest. A proper bagger with ha

THE ROCKET 3 Storm’s 2458cc powerplant stands as the world’s largest mass-produced motorcycle engine. A major upgrade in 2018 increased capacity by 152cc while simultaneously massively reducing engine weight, with an 18kg saving achieved through stra

What is your strategy for MV Agusta’s development? MV Agusta is a very well-known, very prestigious and very historic brand, and for sure we know we have to make a lot of investment in the future to bring it up to its rightful position in the marketp

Editor Dean Mellor Deputy Editor Kel Buckley Sub Editor Hamish Cooper Founding Editor George Lynn Art Director Brendon Wise Sir Alan Cathcart, Michael Scott, Ben Purvis, Mat Oxley, Neil Morrison, Adam Child, Gold&Goose, Gordon Ritchie, Paul Young, Pe

765cc inline triple, 88.3kW, 80Nm, 189kg $18,090 (ride away) 890cc inline triple, 87.5kW, 93Nm, 193kg $17,399 (ride away) 803cc V-twin, 53.6kW, 65.2Nm, 185kg $20,100 (ride away) ■

MATHO, WHEN YOU told me you were going to dump on my ‘new bikes are good’ column, I figured you’d take a screaming dump from a great height. This one hit with all the thunder of a, well, a BMW R 75/6 on full patter. Patter? The first time my old bike

THE USUAL way it goes when riders are called in front of the FIM stewards is for them to get a bollocking and maybe a fine or another penalty. Although they do get a chance to state their case. Johann Zarco, elder statesman of the grid, turned that u

WITH SUNDAY morning temperatures rising, Collin Veijer (IntactGP Husqvarna) kept his cool to claim a superb second GP win after resisting late intense pressure from David Muñoz (BOE KTM). The pair were disbelieving when polesitter David Alonso (Aspar

THE MICHELIN Supersport field is stacked with international experience this season and Tom Toparis put that on full display yet again, taking pole position, the lap record and the round win. One of five riders on the grid backed by Stop & Seal, Topar

AFTER A MIXED start to season 2024, Mike Jones produced perfect results at Queensland Raceway, securing pole and two race wins to elevate him to third in the ASBK standings. This year marks the 25th year of Queensland Raceway and Jones marked the occ

HONDA’S PROBLEMS are worse than previously anticipated. Fresh from a two-day test in Barcelona, Joan Mir and Luca Marini believe HRC needs to totally rethink its 2024 RC213V, which has lost all front-end performance in its quest to improve rear tract

THE SECOND round of the FIM Junior GP was held at a wet and foggy Estoril over 4-5 May, with four Aussies in action in the Moto2, Stock and European Talent Cup classes. Harrison Voight (Yamaha Stylobike Phillipines team) qualified 17th and posted a b

THE MOTORCYCLING Australia Code of Conduct copped a workout at the Queensland Raceway ASBK round. Honda supersport rider Markus Chiodo and Stop & Seal team owner Robbie Bolger were fined $500 and $250 respectively for a series of altercations in the

IT SEEMS that Australians are prone to problems with flights wherever they are in the world. Rohan Tungate missed a flight from his Polish base, and when a dash to another airport proved fruitless he could not get to a British Premiership meeting for